Can any of you mudcatters offer up the melody to this song. I've got the beginning I think from my recolection of someone singing it but can't seem to get the middle part. Help me if you can (I'm feeling dooooown) not really. Thanks

Not enough info to lock the song down solid. You might be referring to "The Garden Song" ("Step by step, row by row; I'm gonna make this garden grow...") by David Mallett. Pretty sure you'll find it in the DT by that title. For sure it's in the "Rise Up Singing" songbook.

No, 'Step by Step' is right. The lyrics are part of the preamble to the constitution of the early coal miner's union. Part of it is on 'Carry It On' - Pete Seeger, Jane Sapp and Si Kahn Flying Fish. The tune is to the Irish 'The Praties they grow small, over here'. As I recall there is a thread on foot about that tune. I have a full version of the lyrics somewhere, but I can't recall where at the moment.

Here's what Pete Seeger says in his songbook, Where Have All the Flowers Gone?:

Waldemar Hille, editing the People's Songs bulletin in 1948, once showed me two short verses he found when researching U.S. labor history.

Step by step the longest march Can be won, can be won. Many stones can form an arch, Singly none, singly none.

And by union what we will Can be accomplished still Drops of water turn a mill, Singly none, singly none.

It was printed in the preamble to the constitution of an early coal miner's union. Says Wally, "good verse." Says I, "What's the tune?" "I don't know," says Wally, "I suppose some old Irish tune might fit it. Like the song from the Irish famine of the 1840's, 'The Praties they Grow Small.'" "Let's try it," says I. It fit. And has been sung to that melody ever since.

The Digital Tradition has these same lyrics, but no tune, and says the lyrics are "From Ruthie Gorton, from the preamble to the constitution of the United Mineworkers of America." The Seeger songbook says the author is unknown, from the preamble to the constitution of the American Mineworkers Association (1863); music arranged and adapted by Waldemar Hills and Pete Seeger (1948) from the traditional Irish song "The Praties They Grow Small."So, is it Waldemar Hills, Hille, or both? In most things I've seen about People's Songs, he's Hille - but he's identified as "Hills" in copyright information for "Step By Step" in two Seeger songbooks.

Incidentally, the spelling 'Waldemar Hills' googled in quotation marks gives only that one site, so I suspect it's a misspelling.

A google of "waldemar Hille" provides scads of sites showing Hille as an author of articles and contributor to various publications. There is a NYT article (July 12, 1990) that mentions him here. The pertinent part is quoted below:

"Waldemar Hille joined the Communist Party 48 years ago believing that the movement would create a more compassionate and humane America.

Today, as Communism falters in Europe, the 82-year-old Mr. Hille is fighting to preserve ''an important people's institution,'' a retirement home for political activists.

We're not just wallowing in resignation here,'' said Mr. Hille, a pianist who is one of nine residents of the home, Sunset Hall in downtown Los Angeles. ''We're fighting for our rights.'' Other residents said their building offered them a special environment of humanistic intellectualism."

Step by step the longest march Can be won, can be won Many stones can form an arch Singly none, singly none And by union what we will Can be accomplished still Drops of water turn a mill Singly none singly none

We are approaching the 100th anniversary of the killng of Joe Hill in Utah. Many people and groups have been commemmorating the centenieary with celebrations and memorials. We are holding an event in Chico CA with songs and the story of Joe Hill's life. Joe was a union organizer and sogngwriter who has inspired and influenced many. I plan to sing a couple of songs.... one is STEP BY STEP, a song for miners in a minor key

Step by step the longest march can be won, can be won Many stones can form an arch, singly none, singly none And by union what we will can be accomplished still Drops of water turn a mill, singly none, singly none.

I would appreciate any advice on the chords to this....thanks! I can be reached at: veraloe@gotsky.com

Here are the chords from the Pete Seeger songbook, Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

Dm Gm Dm Gm Dm Step by step the longest march can be won, can be won Gm Dm Gm Dm Many stones can form an arch, singly none, singly none Gm A And by union what we will can be accomplished still Gm Dm Gm Dm Gm Dm Drops of water turn a mill, singly none, singly none.

I always hear this in my memory with John McCutcheon singing it with hammer dulcimer that has been muted to sound like a marimba at first, then fully ringing out. John is a superb Union organizer, and one of the reason Local 1000, the traveling musicians union, exists. If he wants to play instruments with it, more power to him. A song so simple can swell marvelously when a great musician takes it on.

When I sing it, I always wonder if my carpenter union president grandfather would have known it back in the 50s and 60s,msnd sung it as well.